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Welfare Ministry
Revive the Spirit of the Good Samaritan—The spirit of the good
Samaritan has not been largely represented in our churches. Many in
need of help have been passed by, as the priest and Levite passed by the
wounded and bruised stranger who had been left to die by the wayside.
The very ones who needed the power of the divine Healer to cure their
wounds have been left uncared for and unnoticed. Many have acted
as if it were enough to know that Satan had his trap all set for a soul,
and they could go home and care not for the lost sheep. It is evident
that those who manifest such a spirit have not been partakers of the
divine nature, but of the attributes of the enemy of God.—
Testimonies
for the Church 6:294, 295
.
Sympathy as Well as Charity—I have been shown that among
those who accept present truth there are many whose dispositions and
characters need converting. Everyone who claims to be a Christian
should examine himself, and see if he is as kind and considerate of his
fellow beings as he desires his fellow beings to be of him. When this
is done there will be a showing that is after the divine similitude.
The Lord is honored by our acts of mercy, by the exercise of
thoughtful consideration for the unfortunate and distressed. The widow
and the fatherless need more than our charity. They need sympathy and
watchcare and compassionate words and a helping hand to place them
where they can learn to help themselves. All deeds done for those who
need help are as if done to Christ. In our study to know how to help
the unfortunate we should study the way in which Christ worked. He
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did not refuse to work for those who made mistakes; His works of
mercy were done for every class, the righteous and the unrighteous.
For all alike He healed disease and gave lessons of instruction if they
humbly asked Him.
Those who claim to believe in Christ are to represent Christ in
deeds of kindness and mercy. Such will never know until the day of
judgment what good they have done in seeking to follow the example
of the Saviour.—
Letter 140, 1908
.
Kindness the Key to Greater Evangelism—If we would humble
ourselves before God, and be kind and courteous and tenderhearted
and pitiful, there would be one hundred conversions to the truth where
now there is only one.—
Testimonies for the Church 9:189
.
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